Shoe polish dispenser



P 1964 F. c. GLEASON SHOE POLISH DISPENSER Filed Feb. 13, 1961 FIG.|

n m 0 9 El G C 0 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,147,512 SHOE POLISH DISPENSER Fred C. Gleason,Wilton, (301111., assignor to American Home Products Corporation, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 13, 1961, Ser. No.88,839 Claims. (Cl. 15-566) This invention relates to a shoe polishdispenser. More particularly it relates to a dispenser for liquid shoepolish and similar liquids which are distributed on surfaces in limitedamounts, said dispenser being adapted to be applied to a glass orplastic container and to serve as a closure therefor and to bemanipulated to open it to permit distribution of liquid from saidcontainer, said dispenser comprising a deformable member having a flangeand an elongated nipple closed at its outer end, a longitudinal slit inthe side of the nipple designed to remain closed when the nipple isunflexed and to open when the nipple is flexed, a spongy membersurrounding the nipple, means on the flange to secure it liquid-tight tosaid container, and a cap adapted to surround the nipple and spongymember, to be removably secured to the container, and to seal the nippleagainst leakage when in place on the container.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser of this typewhich is economical to make and eifective and convenient to use.

The following description and accompanying drawing are intended to beillustrative only of a preferred embodiment and not to limit theinvention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in section of the elements of the dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section of the dispenser mounted on acontainer in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view of the unflexed nipple;

FIG. 4 is a view of the flexed nipple;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the dispenser in use; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of the dispenser.

In FIG. 1 a closure cap 1, a spongy member 2, a deformable member 3, anda container 4 are shown in section.

Cap 1 is cylindrical, with a solid top 5 and an internal screw thread 6at its open end. This screw thread is adapted to mate with an externalscrew thread 7 on the neck of container 4. Depending from the top 5 ofcap 1 is an axial tubular projection 8 adapted to surround the nipple 9of member 3. An external fillet 11 may advantageously be provided onnipple 9 to ensure a tight closure when the dispenser is closed, butthis is not essential when projection 8 provides a close fit on nipple9.

Cap 1 is advantageously made of molded plastic, but other materials suchas metal may be used.

Spongy member 2 is cylindrical in form and has a central bore 12 of adiameter such as to receive projection 8 when the dispenser is closedbut to fit closely around nipple 9 at its lower end when compressed intoposition in member 3, to which it may be cemented, as shown in FIG. 2.The spongy member 2 may be made of various expanded elastomers known tothe art, such as foam rubber, but a polyurethane has been found a verysatisfactory material.

Deformable member 3 comprises the upstanding hollow nipple 9 moldedintegral with a flange 13. This flange is provided with an upstandingrim 14 adapted to fit snugly in the bore 15 of the neck of container 4.Rim 14 forms an annular recess 16 around nipple .9, which receives thecompressed lower end of spongy member 2 when the dispenser is assembledas shown in FIG. 2. Rim

3,147,512 Patented Sept. 8, 1964 14 is provided with an external fillet17 mating with annular groove 18 in the neck of container 4 when thedispenser is assembled on a container.

Nipple 9 is provided with a longitudinal slit 19 in its side; this slitremains closed in the relaxed or unflexed nipple as shown in FIG. 3, butopens when the nipple is flexed as shown in FIG. 4.

Deformable member 3 may be made of any one of a number of deformable orelastomeric substances known to the art, such as rubber, neoprene,polypropylene, or the like, but a polyethylene plastic has been found avery satisfactory material for it.

Container 4 may be made of glass or of a rigid molded plastic or of aflexible plastic such as polyethylene. The dispenser works equally wellwith rigid and flexible bottles or tubes.

Commercially, the containers 4 are filled with the liquid to bedispensed (e.g. shoe polish, automobile polish, cosmetic lotion or thelike); deformable units 3 are forced into bores 15 of the containernecks, fillets 17 being seated in annular grooves 18; spongy members 2are forced over nipples 9, the lower ends being compressed into recess16 and cemented thereto; and caps 1 are applied and screwed home oncontainer necks and nipples by means of thread 6, The resulting assemblyis illustrated in FIG. 2. There it will be seen that in the closedposition tubular projection 8 closely surrounds nipple 9 and preventsany chance seepage through slit 19.

In use, cap 1 is removed from the dispenser, the container is invertedand the spongy element 2 is pressed on the surface 20 to be treated witha natural sidewise wiping motion as indicated by arrow 23 in FIG. 5. Theresulting flexure of nipple 9 opens slot 19 and permits the liquid 21 inthe container to seep through and saturate the end of spongy element 2as indicated at 22. Further manipulation of element 2 on surface 20spreads liquid 21 as desired, the amount of liquid delivered beingreadily controlled by the amount of pressure and flexing applied tonipple 9.

A modification of the dispenser is shown in FIG. 6. In principle thisoperates in the same way as the previously described dispenser, butstructurally it is somewhat different. Deformable member 103, instead ofbeing inserted in the neck of container 4 like number 3, is attached tocontainer 104 by internal screw thread 117 mating with a complementaryexternal thread on the container neck. Member 103 lacks the upstandingflange 14 of member 3, and spongy element 2 is cemented to it at 116 toretain it in position. Member 103 lacks a fillet corresponding to fillet11, and cap 101 a thread corresponding to thread 6. Closure is effectedby a close friction fit of cap 101 around member 103 at 107 and a closesliding fit of tubular projection 108 around nipple 9.

From this description it is thought obvious that, once cap 101 has beenremoved, this form of dispenser will function in use exactly like thepreviously described form.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser for liquid shoe polish and similar liquids, saiddispenser being adapted to be applied to a glass or plastic container toserve as a closure therefor and to be manipulated to open to permitdistribution of liquid from said container, the improvement whichcomprises, in combination:

(1) a deformable member having an elongated flexible nipple, said nipplebeing provided with an axial bore closed at its outer end and also witha slit in its side surface, which slit is limited in extent to said sidesurface and is designed to remain closed when said nipple is unflexedand to open when said nipple is flexed, a first flange attached to theinner end of said nipple and disposed perpendicularly to the axisthereof, said flange having an aperture in alinement with said bore'ofsaid nipple, and a second flange, said second flange being of generallyannular configuration and secured to the edge of the first flange, saidsecond flange having means thereon for securing it liquid-tight to acontainer;

(2) a fixedly secured spongy member surrounding said nipple and normallyextending adjacent thereto for the entire length thereof, wherebyflexure of said spongy member results in flexure of said nipple andopening of the slit in the side surface thereof, said spongy memberbeing unattached to said nipple at least from the region just below saidslit therein to the outer end of said nipple;

(3) a cap adapted to surround said nipple and said spongy member and tobe removably secured to the container on which said nipple and spongymember are to be mounted, said cap having an elongate axial tubularprojection depending therefrom, said tubular projection having an axialbore therein;

(4) the dimensions of said elongate axial tubular projection and saidaxial bore therein being so related to those of said nipple and saidspongy member whereby said cap is adapted to be positioned with respectto said nipple for closing the container with which said dispenser maybe operatively associated, at which time said elongate axial tubularprojection is adapted to be positioned frictionally over said nippleWhile it extends between said nipple and said spongy member at least tosaid region just below said slit in said side surface of said nipple toretain the latter in unflexed position and to seal the slit againstleakage into said spongy member.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 in Which the elongated nipple isprovided with an external fillet adapted to form a tight closure bycontact with the bore of the tubular projection when the cap is inposition.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 in which the second flangeconstitutes an upstanding rim around the first flange and is providedwith an exterior fillet adapted to mate with an interior annular groovein the neck of a container whereby said deformable member may be securedliquid-tight to-a container.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 in which the second flangeconstitutes a downturned rim having an internal securing means adaptedto mate with an external securing means on the neck of a container.

5. As an article of commerce a container having attached thereto adispenser incorporating the invention defined in claim 1.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS378,742 Underwood Feb. 28, 1888 1,007,816 tubenrauch Nov. 7, 19111,321,891 Croner Nov. 18, 1919 1,935,192 Spahr Nov. 14, 1933 2,684,789Marchant July 27, 1954 2,718,651 Corraccio et a1 Sept. 27, 1955 FOREIGNPATENTS 491,132 Italy Feb. 24, 1954 534,487 Italy Oct. 17, 1955

1. IN A DISPENSER FOR LIQUID SHOE POLISH AND SIMILAR LIQUIDS, SAIDDISPENSER BEING ADAPTED TO BE APPLIED TO A GLASS OR PLASTIC CONTAINER TOSERVE AS A CLOSURE THEREFOR AND TO BE MANIPULATED TO OPEN TO PERMITDISTRIBUTION OF LIQUID FROM SAID CONTAINER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICHCOMPRISES, IN COMBINATION: (1) A DEFORMABLE MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATEDFLEXIBLE NIPPLE, SAID NIPPLE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL BORE CLOSED ATITS OUTER END AND ALSO WITH A SLIT IN ITS SIDE SURFACE, WHICH SLIT ISLIMITED IN EXTENT TO SAID SIDE SURFACE AND IS DESIGNED TO REMAIN CLOSEDWHEN SAID NIPPLE IS UNFLEXED AND TO OPEN WHEN SAID NIPPLE IS FLEXED, AFIRST FLANGE ATTACHED TO THE INNER END OF SAID NIPPLE AND DISPOSEDPERPENDICULARLY TO THE AXIS THEREOF, SAID FLANGE HAVING AN APERTURE INALINEMENT WITH SAID BORE OF SAID NIPPLE, AND A SECOND FLANGE, SAIDSECOND FLANGE BEING OF GENERALLY ANNULAR CONFIGURATION AND SECURED TOTHE EDGE OF THE FIRST FLANGE, SAID SECOND FLANGE HAVING MEANS THEREONFOR SECURING IT LIQUID-TIGHT TO A CONTAINER; (2) A FIXEDLY SECUREDSPONGY MEMBER SURROUNDING SAID NIPPLE AND NORMALLY EXTENDING ADJACENTTHERETO FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF, WHEREBY FLEXURE OF SAID SPONGYMEMBER RESULTS IN FLEXURE OF SAID NIPPLE AND OPENING OF THE SLIT IN THESIDE SURFACE THEREOF, SAID SPONGY MEMBER BEING UNATTACHED TO SAID NIPPLEAT LEAST FROM THE REGION JUST BELOW SAID SLIT THEREIN TO THE OUTER ENDOF SAID NIPPLE; (3) A CAP ADAPTED TO SURROUND SAID NIPPLE AND SAIDSPONGY MEMBER AND TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE CONTAINER ON WHICH SAIDNIPPLE AND SPONGY MEMBER ARE TO BE MOUNTED, SAID CAP HAVING AN ELONGATEAXIAL TUBULAR PROJECTION DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID TUBULAR PROJECTIONHAVING AN AXIAL BORE THEREIN; (4) THE DIMENSIONS OF SAID ELONGATE AXIALTUBULAR PROJECTION AND SAID AXIAL BORE THEREIN BEING SO RELATED TO THOSEOF SAID NIPPLE AND SAID SPONGY MEMBER WHEREBY SAID CAP IS ADAPTED TO BEPOSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID NIPPLE FOR CLOSING THE CONTAINER WITHWHICH SAID DISPENSER MAY BE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED, AT WHICH TIME SAIDELONGATE AXIAL TUBULAR PROJECTION IS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONEDFRICTIONALLY OVER SAID NIPPLE WHILE IT EXTENDS BETWEEN SAID NIPPLE ANDSAID SPONGY MEMBER AT LEAST TO SAID REGION JUST BELOW SAID SLIT IN SAIDSIDE SURFACE OF SAID NIPPLE TO RETAIN THE LATTER IN UNFLEXED POSITIONAND TO SEAL THE SLIT AGAINST LEAKAGE INTO SAID SPONGY MEMBER.